Information processing program and information processing device

Abstract

To enable printing corresponding to printing setting to be executed even in the case that a protocol to be used by an OS printing function does not correspond to the printing setting of a label printer.SOLUTION: A printer application 170 executes a step S40 for acquiring inherent printing setting representing contents of an inherent printing setting item that is unsettable in a CUPS 160 among printing setting items in a label printer 200, a step S130 for acquiring printing data including image data and common printing setting representing contents of a common printing setting item settable in the CUPS 160 among the printing setting items in the label printer from the CPUS 160 in the label printer 200, a step S145 for generating printing data obtained by adding the inherent printing setting acquired in the step S40 to the printing data acquired in the step S130, and a step S150 for transmitting the printing data generated in the step S145 toward the label printer 200.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing program executed by an information processing device capable of communicating with a printing device, and the information processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] In the past, operating systems (OS) with so-called driverless printing capabilities, which allow printing according to a predetermined printing standard without using a printer driver provided by the printer vendor, have become common. In this case, printing can be performed without installing a printer driver.

[0003] As a way to utilize such driverless OS printing functions and support printers that do not support driverless printing or to extend the functions of normal driverless printing, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, a virtual printer is created within an information processing device that receives print jobs from the OS and sends the received print jobs to a printer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-160905 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] A label printer is already known as a special printer that prints on a long roll of printing paper to create printed labels. This label printer has special settings that are not available in ordinary printers, such as a cutter setting that cuts the printing paper and a peel setting that peels the label paper attached to the backing from the backing provided on the printing paper.

[0006] The above-mentioned prior art does not particularly consider making it possible to execute such special settings in a label printer.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing program and an information processing device that can execute printing in accordance with print settings of a label printer even if the protocol used in the OS print function does not correspond to the print settings of the label printer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, an information processing program of the present invention is an information processing program that can be executed by a calculation unit of an information processing device and that can execute print control using a printing device that can communicate with the information processing device, the printing device being a label printer that prints on long print media wound in a roll to create printed labels, the information processing device being equipped with an operating system that has OS standard printing software, the information processing program being registerable as a virtual printing device in the OS standard printing software, and when the information processing program is registered as the virtual printing device in the OS standard printing software, The label printer is configured to execute the following processes: a first setting acquisition process that acquires first settings that represent the contents of first setting items that cannot be set in the OS standard printing software; a first print data acquisition process that acquires first print data from the OS standard printing software, including image data and second settings that represent the contents of second setting items that can be set in the OS standard printing software among the print setting items in the label printer; a second print data generation process that generates second print data by adding the first setting acquired in the first setting acquisition process to the first print data acquired in the print data acquisition process; and a second print data transmission process that transmits the second print data generated in the second print data generation process to the label printer.

[0009] The printing device targeted by the present invention is a label printer that prints on long print media to create printed labels. Label printers have special print settings that differ from other ordinary printing devices. The OS standard printing software included in the information processing device of the present invention allows the second setting item, among the print setting items related to the label printer, to be set, but does not allow the first setting item to be set. Accordingly, when the information processing program of the present invention is executed by the calculation unit, a first setting acquisition process, a first print data acquisition process, a second print data generation process, and a second print data transmission process are executed.

[0010] In the first setting acquisition process, first settings that represent the contents of the above-mentioned first setting items that cannot be set in the OS standard printing software are acquired. Examples of first settings include a cutting setting for a cutter that cuts the printing paper, a peeling setting for peeling label paper from a backing paper provided on the printing paper, etc. In the first print data acquisition process, first print data including image data is acquired. In addition to the image data, the first print data includes second settings that represent the contents of the second setting items that can be set in the OS standard printing software. In the second print data generation process, the second print data is generated by adding the first settings to the first print data. That is, the second print data includes image data, the first settings, and the second settings. In the second print data transmission process, the second print data including these three settings is sent to the label printer.

[0011] As described above, in the present invention, the image data and second settings acquired from the OS standard printing software are sent to the label printer with the first settings added separately. Therefore, even if the protocol of the OS printing function does not support the first setting items and only the second settings can be acquired from the OS standard printing software, the first settings related to the first setting items can be separately supplemented to generate second print data, and printing can be performed in accordance with both the first and second settings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, even if the protocol used in the OS printing function does not support the print settings of the label printer, printing can be performed in accordance with the print settings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of a printing system and a functional configuration of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a label printer. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a print setting screen for setting common print setting items. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a print setting screen for setting unique print setting items. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a print label generated in accordance with the settings of unique print settings. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating other examples of print labels generated in accordance with the settings of the unique print settings. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating still another example of a print label generated in accordance with the settings of the unique print settings. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating still another example of a print label generated in accordance with the settings of the unique print settings. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control procedure executed by a printer application when registering unique print settings. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control procedure executed by an editing application, CUPS, a printer application, and a label printer in cooperation with each other when printing is performed. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the data configuration of print data generated in step S145. [Figure 12]10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control procedure executed by a printer application and a label printer in cooperation when registering unique print settings in a modified example in which capability information is acquired from a printer and print setting items are determined. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a terminal device and a printer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] <Embodiment> An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] <Printing system overview> Fig. 1 shows an example of the system configuration of a printing system 1 according to this embodiment. In Fig. 1, the printing system 1 has a terminal device 100 and a printer 200. The terminal device 100 and the printer 200 are communicably connected via, for example, the Internet, a wired LAN, or a wireless LAN. The terminal device 100 is an example of an information processing device, and the printer 200 is an example of a printing device.

[0016] <Functional configuration of terminal device> The terminal device 100 transmits print data to the printer 200 to cause it to print. The terminal device 100 is, for example, a desktop PC, a notebook PC, a tablet computer, or the like, but it may also be a mobile terminal such as a smartphone. As will be described in detail later, the terminal device 100 has a processor 110 and a storage device 115 that stores various print processing programs (see FIG. 13 described later). When the processor 110 executes the various print processing programs, the terminal device 100 has the functional configuration shown in FIG. 1.

[0017] 1, the terminal device 100 has an OS (Operating System) 101, an editing application 102, a printer application 170, and a browser 104. The OS 101 has a so-called driverless printing function that performs printing according to a predetermined printing standard without using a printer driver provided by a printer vendor.

[0018] The OS 101 includes, for example, a Common Unix Printing System (CUPS) 160, which is a modularized printing system for the OS. The OS 101 is an example of an operating system, and the CUPS 160 is an example of OS standard printing software.

[0019] <cups> The CUPS 160 includes an HTTP server 161, a CUPSPnP manager 162, an IPP client 163, and a print data scheduler and spooler 164.

[0020] The HTTP server 161 is server software that runs on the CUPS 160. The HTTP server 161 obtains information and functions using the HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) via the browser 104, or provides information and functions to them. The CUPSPnP management unit 162 has a PnP (Plag and Play) function that registers a printer (including a virtual printing device) detected using a protocol such as mDNS / SD in the CUPS 160 and creates a print queue.

[0021] A script executed when the printer application 170 is installed modifies the settings of the CUPS PnP management unit 162 so that the search address for PnP is limited to the internal network of the terminal device 100 (usually IP address 127.0.0.1). As a result, the CUPS 160 cannot directly recognize the printer 200, but recognizes the printer application 170 as the printer. The printer application 170 is not an actual printer, but rather a so-called virtual printer that behaves as a printer to the CUPS 160. The printer application 170 mediates between the CUPS 160 and the printer 200, thereby enabling printing using the CUPS 160 and the printer 200. The printer application 170 is an example of a virtual printing device.

[0022] The IPP client 163 transmits and receives print data or attributes to and from an IPP / mDNS server 173, which will be described later, using the IPP protocol. The print data scheduler and spooler 164 manages print jobs sent from the editing application 102 and the like, and also manages multiple print jobs that occur simultaneously so that they are temporarily blocked and processed sequentially before being handed over to the IPP client 163.

[0023] <Printer application> The printer application 170 can be registered in the CUPS 160 as a virtual printer corresponding to the connected printer 200. The CUPS 160 treats the printer application 170 as a virtual printer and executes various processes related to printing. These processes include, for example, a capability information acquisition process and a print data transmission process. The printer application 170 includes a printer communication unit 171, an attribute / mDNS conversion unit 172, an IPP / mDNS server 173, a print data conversion unit 174, and a print setting storage unit 175. The printer application 170 is an example of an information processing program.

[0024] The printer communication unit 171 communicates with the printer 200 using the IPP protocol. The printer communication unit 171 receives attributes from the printer 200 and transmits print data to the printer 200.

[0025] The attribute / mDNS conversion unit 172 acquires attributes that indicate the capabilities of the printer 200 via the printer communication unit 171. The attribute / mDNS conversion unit 172 converts the attributes acquired from the printer 200 into attributes that correspond to the printing functions that the CUPS 160 can handle.

[0026] The attribute / mDNS conversion unit 172 has a function of mDNS (multicast Domain Name System). mDNS simultaneously distributes DNS queries within a local network using IP (Internet Protocol) multicast, and simultaneously queries all devices on the same network. Devices that receive a query respond by transmitting their own IP address.

[0027] The print setting storage unit 175 stores print settings that cannot be set in the CUPS 160 among the print setting items of the printer 200. For example, if the printer 200 is a label printer, the print settings include at least one of a cutter setting for cutting the print-receiving paper and a peel setting for peeling the label paper attached to the print-receiving paper from the backing paper provided on the print-receiving paper. The HTTP server 176 of the printer application 170 acquires print settings set using the browser 104 of the terminal device 100 (or a browser of the external terminal 300) and stores them in the print setting storage unit 175. The print setting storage unit 175 is, for example, a partial area of ​​the data storage area 132 of the non-volatile storage device 130 of the storage device 115 of the terminal device 100 (see FIG. 13 described later). The print setting storage unit 175 is an example of an appropriate location. The print settings may be set in the terminal device 100, or pre-set contents may be installed in the printer application 170.

[0028] In response to the capability information acquisition process of CUPS 160, IPP / mDNS server 173 outputs the attribute converted by attribute / mDNS conversion unit 172 to CUPS 160. CUPS 160 outputs print data corresponding to the attribute converted by IPP client 163. In response to the print data transmission process of CUPS 160, IPP / mDNS server 173 acquires print data corresponding to the converted attribute output from CUPS 160 and outputs it to print data conversion unit 174. Note that IPP / mDNS server 173 has the mDNS function just like attribute / mDNS conversion unit 172.

[0029] The print data conversion unit 174 acquires print data from the CUPS 160 via the IPP / mDNS server 173. The print data conversion unit 174 converts the print data acquired from the CUPS 160 into print data according to the printing function of the printer 200. The print data conversion unit 174 outputs the converted print data to the printer communication unit 171. The printer communication unit 171 transmits the print data output from the print data conversion unit 174 to the printer 200 .

[0030] <Printer> The printer 200 prints on a print-receiving sheet based on print data sent from the printer communication unit 171 of the terminal device 100. In this embodiment, the printer 200 is a label printer that prints on, for example, a long print-receiving sheet wound in a roll to create a printed label. In this embodiment, the printer 200 is also referred to as the "label printer 200" as appropriate. Note that the printer 200 may also be a printing device that is capable of printing on things other than labels.

[0031] Fig. 2 shows an example of the configuration of the label printer 200. As shown in Fig. 2, the label printer 200 has a processor 210, a storage device 215, a cartridge holder 260, a conveying device 265, a communication interface 270, a cutter 280, a half cutter 285, and a printing unit 290.

[0032] The processor 210 controls the entire label printer 200 by executing various programs pre-stored in the storage device 215 while utilizing the temporary storage function of the storage device 215. The processor 210 also communicates with the terminal device 100 via the communication interface 270.

[0033] The cartridge holder 260 is capable of detachably mounting a cartridge 203 having a tape roll 202 around which a label tape 201 to be used in the label printer 200 is wound. The conveying device 265 conveys the label tape 201 that is unwound from the tape roll 202 of the cartridge 203 that is attached to the cartridge holder 260 . The printing unit 290 is provided opposite the conveying device 265 and prints according to the print data input from the terminal device 100 onto the label tape 201 that is unwound from the tape roll 202 and conveyed by the conveying device 265.

[0034] The cutter 280 cuts the label tape 201 after printing to a predetermined length. This produces a printed label L. The half cutter 285 performs so-called half cutting, cutting the label tape 201 to a partial depth in the thickness direction. As shown in the partial enlarged view in FIG. 2, the label tape 201 is made up of a label paper 201a on which printing is performed by the printing unit 290, and a backing paper 201b peelably attached to the back surface of the label paper 201a. The produced printed label L is attached to an adherend by peeling off the backing paper 201b. The half cutter 285 cuts the label tape 201 so that the label paper 201a is divided but the backing paper 201b is not divided.

[0035] Although not shown, the label printer 200 may be provided with a peeler that discharges the produced print label L in a state where it has been peeled off from the backing sheet 201b.

[0036] <Features of this embodiment> The label printer 200 has special print settings that are different from those of other ordinary printers. For example, there are cutting settings for the cutter 280 or half cutter 285 that cut the label tape 201, and peeling settings for peeling the label paper 201a from the backing paper 201b provided on the label tape 201. The special print settings may include both of these settings, or only one of them. The cutting settings include at least one of the following: the cutting mode of the cutter 280 or half cutter 285 for cutting the backing paper 201b and the label paper 201a, selection of automatic or manual execution of the cutting operation by the cutter 280, and the cutting frequency when printing multiple print labels L. The label tape 201 is an example of a print-receiving paper.

[0037] On the other hand, the CUPS 160 of this embodiment can set common print setting items that are common to other printers among the print setting items related to the label printer 200, but cannot set unique print setting items, which are the above-mentioned special print settings. Therefore, in this embodiment, the user registers in advance in the printer application 170 unique print settings that represent the contents of unique print setting items that cannot be set by the CUPS 160 among the print setting items of the label printer 200. On the other hand, common print settings that represent the contents of common print setting items that can be set by the CUPS 160 among the print setting items of the label printer 200 are set by the user in the editing application 102 when printing is executed. When printing is executed, the registered unique print settings are automatically added to the print data output from the editing application 102 and sent to the label printer 200. As a result, even if the CUPS 160 does not support the unique print settings of the label printer 200, the unique print settings can be supplemented to generate print data, and printing can be executed in accordance with both the common print settings and the unique print settings. Note that the above-mentioned unique print setting items are an example of first setting items, the above-mentioned unique print settings are an example of first settings, the above-mentioned common print setting items are an example of second setting items, and the above-mentioned common print settings are an example of second settings.

[0038] <Print setting screen and printed label> FIG. 3 shows an example of a print setting screen for configuring the common print setting items. The print setting screen is displayed on the display unit 140 of the terminal device 100 (see FIG. 13 described below) by, for example, the editing application 102. As shown in FIG. 3, the print setting screen allows users to configure, for example, the printer type, number of prints, paper size, and paper orientation, and a preview is displayed according to the settings. In the label printer 200, the number of prints corresponds to the number of print labels L to be generated, the paper size corresponds to the tape width of the label tape 201, and the paper orientation corresponds to the printing orientation relative to the label tape 201. The common print setting items may include all of the above items, at least one of them, or items other than those listed above. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the printer type is Brother printer XXX, the number of prints is 1, the paper size is 24 mm wide, and the paper orientation is landscape. The number of prints is an example of the print amount, the paper size is an example of the size of the paper to be printed, and the paper orientation is an example of the print direction. Furthermore, the type of printer, the number of copies, the paper size, and the paper orientation are examples of second setting items, and the settings of these are examples of second settings.

[0039] FIG. 4 shows an example of a print setting screen for setting the unique print setting items. The print setting screen is displayed by, for example, the HTTP server 176 on the terminal device 100 (or the external terminal 300) using a browser or the like. As shown in FIG. 4, the print setting screen allows settings for auto cut, cut at every, half cut, and peeler. Auto cut can be set to on or off. When set to on, the cutting operation by the cutter 280 is automatically performed, and when set to off, the cutting operation by the cutter 280 is not performed. In this case, the user may manually operate the cutter 280 to cut, or may cut using scissors or the like. Cut at every is a setting item when auto cut is set to on, and allows the cutting frequency when printing multiple print labels L to be set as the number of labels. For example, when cut at every is set to 2 labels, the multiple print labels L are cut every two labels, and the two print labels L are discharged connected together. The half cut can be set to on or off. When set to on, half cut is automatically performed by the half cutter 285, and when set to off, half cut is not performed. The peeler can be set to on or off. When set to on, peeling operation is automatically performed by the peeler, and when set to off, peeling operation is not performed by the peeler. The unique print setting items may include all of the above items, may include at least one of the above items, or may include items other than the above. In the example shown in FIG. 4, auto cut is set to on, cut at every is set to 1 label, half cut is set to on, and peeler is set to off. Note that auto cut, cut at every, half cut, and peeler are examples of first setting items, and their setting contents are examples of first settings.

[0040] 5 to 8 show examples of printed labels generated according to the settings of the unique print settings. In FIGS. 5 to 8, it is assumed that the common print settings are set to four for the number of prints and landscape for the paper orientation. FIG. 5 shows an example when auto-cutting is set to off. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, four printed labels L1, L2, L3, and L4 are generated in a continuous manner without being cut. FC is the cutting point by the cutter 280. A cutting line CL is printed between each printed label L so that the user can see where to cut. Furthermore, each printed label L1 to L4 has characters printed thereon, for example, "ABCDEF."

[0041] Figure 6 shows an example when auto cut is set to on and cut at every is set to 1 label. In this case, the four printed labels L1, L2, L3, and L4 are cut one by one and ejected as shown in Figure 6. FC is the cutting point by cutter 280.

[0042] Fig. 7 shows an example in which auto cut is set to on, cut at every is set to 2 labels, and half cut is set to off. In this case, as shown in Fig. 7, printed labels L1 to L4 are cut every two labels, and printed labels L1, L2 and printed labels L3, L4 are each produced as a continuous piece without being cut. FC is the cutting point by cutter 280. In addition, cutting lines CL are printed between printed labels L1, L2 and between printed labels L3, L4 so that the user can see where to cut.

[0043] Figure 8 shows an example where auto cut is set to on, cut at every is set to 2 labels, and half cut is set to on. In this case, as shown in Figure 8, printed labels L1 to L4 are cut every two labels, and printed labels L1, L2 and printed labels L3, L4 are each produced as a continuous piece without being cut. FC is the cutting point by cutter 280. Half cut lines HC are formed by half cutter 285 between printed labels L1, L2 and between printed labels L3, L4, respectively, to separate label paper 201a.

[0044] <Control procedure> Next, the control procedure executed by the printer application 170 when registering unique print settings will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 9, first, in step S10, the printer application 170 transmits page data for displaying a print setting screen of the unique print setting to the browser 104 in response to a page request from the browser 104 of the terminal device 100.

[0046] In step S15, browser 104 displays the print setting screen for the unique print settings (see FIG. 4 above) using the page data received from printer application 170. Then, in step S20, browser 104 accepts input of the unique print settings by the user.

[0047] In step S30, the browser 104 transmits the unique print settings received in step S20 to the printer application 170.

[0048] In step S40, printer application 170 receives the unique print settings sent from browser 104. As a result, printer application 170 acquires the unique print settings set in browser 104. Step S40 is an example of a first setting acquisition process.

[0049] In step S50, the printer application 170 stores and registers the unique print settings acquired in step S40 in the print setting storage unit 175. Step S50 is executed before printing by the label printer 200. Step S50 is an example of storage processing. This completes this flowchart. Note that the processes of steps S15, S20, and S30 may be processed directly by the printer application 170 without using a browser. Alternatively, the processes of steps S15, S20, and S30 may be performed by a browser on the external terminal 300.

[0050] Next, the control procedure executed by the editing application 102, CUPS 160, printer application 170, and label printer 200 in cooperation with each other when printing is performed will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

[0051] 10, first, in step S105, the editing application 102 accepts editing of image data by the user. The editing application 102 also displays a print setting screen for common print settings (see FIG. 3 above) and accepts input of common print settings.

[0052] In step S110, the editing application 102 determines whether a print command has been issued by the user. The editing application 102 repeats step S110 and step S105 to accept the common print settings until a print command has been issued (step S110: No), and if a print command has been issued (step S110: Yes), the process proceeds to the next step S115.

[0053] In step S115, the editing application 102 transmits the print data to the CUPS 160. The print image data includes the image data edited in step S105 and the input common print setting information.

[0054] In step S120, the CUPS 160 receives the print image data sent from the editing application 102 and generates print data.

[0055] In step S125, the CUPS 160 transmits to the printer application 170 print data based on the print image data received in step S120.

[0056] In step S130, printer application 170 receives the print data sent from CUPS 160. As a result, printer application 170 acquires print data including image data and common print settings from CUPS 160. This print data is an example of first print data, and step S130 is an example of first print data acquisition processing.

[0057] In step S135, printer application 170 converts the print data received in step S130 into print data that corresponds to the printing function of printer 200. For example, printer application 170 uses print data conversion unit 174 to perform rasterization, which converts the print data from vector data to raster data.

[0058] In step S140, printer application 170 reads from print setting storage unit 175 the unique print settings stored in step S50 above.

[0059] In step S145, printer application 170 generates final print data by adding the unique print settings read in step S140 to the print data acquired in step S130. Note that the unique print settings read in step S140 correspond to the unique print settings acquired in step S40. The generated final print data is an example of second print data, and step S145 is an example of second print data generation processing.

[0060] FIG. 11 shows an example of the data configuration of the final print data generated in step S145. The final print data shown on the left side of FIG. 11 corresponds to the print data received in step S130 and includes common print settings. The common print settings correspond to FIG. 3, for example, the number of prints is 1, the paper size is 24 mm wide, and the paper orientation is landscape. The print data shown on the right side of FIG. 11 corresponds to the final print data generated in step S145 and includes common print settings and unique print settings. The unique print settings correspond to FIG. 4, for example, auto cut is on, cut at every is 1 label, half cut is on, and peeler is off. The print data shown on the right side of FIG. 11 includes the raster data converted in step S135, and can therefore also be referred to as print data in raster data format.

[0061] 10, in step S150, the printer application 170 sends the final print data generated in step S145 to the label printer 200. Step S150 is an example of a second print data sending process.

[0062] In step S155, the label printer 200 receives the final print data generated by the printer application 170 and sent.

[0063] In step S160, the label printer 200 executes printing based on the final print data received in step S155. This completes this flow chart.

[0064] <Effects of the embodiment> The printer 200 targeted by the printing system 1 of this embodiment is a label printer that prints on long print-receiving paper to create printed labels L. The label printer 200 has special print settings that differ from those of other ordinary printers. The CUPS 160 provided in the terminal device 100 of this embodiment can set common print setting items among the print setting items related to the label printer 200, but cannot set unique print setting items. In response to this, the printer application 170 executes steps S40, S130, S145, and S150.

[0065] In step S40, unique print settings are acquired that indicate the contents of unique print setting items that cannot be set by the CUPS 160. Examples of the unique print settings include a cutting setting for the cutter 280 or half cutter 285 that cuts the label tape 201, a peeling setting for peeling the label paper 201a from the backing paper 201b provided on the label tape 201, and the like. In step S130, print data is acquired. This print data includes common print settings that indicate the contents of common print setting items that can be set in the CUPS 160. In step S145, print data is generated by adding the unique print settings to the print data acquired in step S130. That is, the generated print data includes the unique print settings and the common print settings. In step S150, the print data including these three settings is sent to the label printer 200.

[0066] As described above, in this embodiment, print data including the common print settings acquired from CUPS 160 is sent to the label printer 200 with the specific print settings added to it. Therefore, even if the IPP protocol of CUPS 160 does not support the specific print settings and can only support the common print settings, print data can be generated by supplementing the specific print settings separately, and printing can be performed that is compatible with both the common print settings and the specific print settings.

[0067] Furthermore, particularly in this embodiment, before printing is performed, the unique print settings acquired in step S40 are stored in print setting storage unit 175 in step S50. Thereafter, the stored unique print settings are read out in step S140, and print data is generated in step S145. This allows the user to register in advance unique print settings that are not supported by the IPP protocol of CUPS 160, and when printing is performed, these settings can be automatically added to generate print data for label printer 200.

[0068] In particular, in this embodiment, vector print data including common print settings is converted into raster data and unique print settings are added to generate print data, which is then sent to the label printer 200. This makes it possible to generate the final print data in raster data format to be sent to the label printer 200.

[0069] In this embodiment, the unique print settings include at least one of the cutting settings and peeling settings for the label printer 200. This makes it possible to supplement the unique print settings with settings related to the cutter 280 for cutting the label tape 201 to an appropriate length and the peeler for peeling the label paper 201a from the backing paper 201b, which are provided in the label printer 200. Furthermore, the label printer 200 can perform smooth printing corresponding to these settings.

[0070] Furthermore, particularly in this embodiment, the cutting settings include at least one of the cutting mode, selection of automatic or manual execution of the cutting operation, and cutting frequency. This allows for information such as whether or not to perform half-cutting using the half cutter 285, whether or not to perform automatic cutting using the cutter 280, and how many labels to cut at a time when creating multiple printed labels L to be supplemented as unique print settings, enabling the label printer 200 to perform smooth printing accordingly.

[0071] In this embodiment, the common print settings include at least one of the number of prints, paper size, and paper orientation. This allows printing to be performed by reading pre-registered unique print settings for the number of labels, tape width, print direction, etc. when creating printed labels.

[0072] <Modification> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the spirit and technical concept of the present invention.

[0073] (1) When determining print settings by obtaining printer capability information For example, the printer application 170 may acquire capability information from the printer 200 and determine the items for which the unique print settings are to be set based on the capability information. In this modified example, the control procedure executed cooperatively by the printer application 170 and label printer 200 when registering the unique print settings will be described using the flowchart in Figure 12. Note that in Figure 12, the same steps as those in Figure 9 above are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted where appropriate.

[0074] In FIG. 12, in step S1, the printer application 170 sends an attribute request to the label printer 200 to request attributes that represent the capabilities of the printer.

[0075] In step S2, the label printer 200 receives the attribute request sent from the printer application 170.

[0076] In step S3, the label printer 200 sends attributes indicating the capabilities of the label printer 200 to the printer application 170 in response to the attribute request received in step S2.

[0077] In step S4, the printer application 170 receives the attributes sent from the label printer 200. As a result, the printer application 170 acquires capability information of the label printer 200. The attributes are an example of capability information, and step S4 is an example of capability information acquisition processing.

[0078] In step S5, printer application 170 determines the corresponding unique print setting items based on the capability information acquired in step S4. Step S5 is an example of a setting item determination process.

[0079] In step S10, printer application 170 transmits page data for displaying the unique print setting items determined in step S5 to browser 104 in response to a page request from browser 104. The display signal is an example of a notification signal, and step S6 is an example of notification signal output processing.

[0080] In step S15, browser 104 displays a print setting screen for the unique print settings, including the unique print setting items determined in step S5, based on the display signal transmitted from printer application 170. Subsequent steps S20 to S50 are the same as those in FIG. 9, and therefore will not be described further.

[0081] In this modified example, attributes of the label printer 200 are acquired in step S4, and based on the acquired results, unique print setting items to be set separately as described above are determined in step S5. A display signal for displaying the determined unique print setting items is output in step S10. This allows appropriate unique print setting items according to the type of printer 200 connected to the terminal device 100 to be automatically determined and displayed on the print setting screen. The unique print setting items corresponding to the label printer 200 connected to the terminal device 100 are now clear, allowing the user to easily set these unique print settings.

[0082] (2) Other The flowcharts shown in Figures 9, 10, and 12 above do not limit the present invention to the procedures shown in the above flows, and steps may be added or deleted or the order may be changed within the scope that does not deviate from the spirit and technical idea of ​​the invention.

[0083] In addition to the above, the methods according to the above embodiments and modifications may be used in appropriate combination.

[0084] Although not specifically illustrated, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the invention.

[0085] <Hardware configuration of terminal device and printer> An example of the hardware configuration of the terminal device 100 and the printer 200 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0086] <Terminal Device> 13, the terminal device 100 has a processor 110, a storage device 115, a display unit 140, an operation unit 150, and a communication interface 190. The processor 110, the storage device 115, the display unit 140, the operation unit 150, and the communication interface 190 are connected via a bus 105 so as to be able to transmit and receive data to and from each other.

[0087] The storage device 115 includes a volatile storage device 120 and a nonvolatile storage device 130. The volatile storage device 120 is, for example, a DRAM, and stores various programs and data to be processed. The nonvolatile storage device 130 is, for example, a hard disk drive or a solid state drive, and includes a program storage area 131 and a data storage area 132.

[0088] Various programs are stored in the program storage area 131. The various programs include the printer application 170 and print processing program based on the flowcharts in Figures 9, 10, and 12. The data storage area 132 stores data necessary for executing the various programs.

[0089] The processor 110 is a device that performs data processing, such as a CPU, and executes various programs stored in a program storage area 131. The processor 110 performs various processes including data communication with the printer 200 connected to the network NT. The processor 110 and the programs stored in the program storage area 131 are examples of a calculation unit and a control unit.

[0090] The display unit 140 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and is capable of displaying various types of information. The operation unit 150 is, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, and the like, and accepts operations by a user. The user can input various instructions to the terminal device 100 by operating the operation unit 150.

[0091] The communication interface 190 is an interface for communicating with other devices, and is connected to the network NT. The communication interface 190 is an example of a communication I / F.

[0092] The storage device 115 is not limited to being configured with the above-mentioned device elements, but may also be configured with, for example, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, HDD, a portable recording medium such as a USB memory that can be attached to or detached from the terminal device 100, a buffer provided in the processor 110, or a combination thereof. The storage device 115 may be a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory medium. In addition to the above examples, non-transitory media also include recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs. Non-transitory media are also tangible media. The same applies to the storage device 215 of the printer 200, which will be described later.

[0093] <Printer> 13, the printer 200 has a processor 210, a storage device 215, a display unit 240, an operation unit 250, a communication interface 270, and a printing unit 290. The processor 210, the storage device 215, the display unit 240, the operation unit 250, the communication interface 270, and the printing unit 290 are connected via a bus 205 so as to be able to send and receive data to and from each other.

[0094] The storage device 215 includes a volatile storage device 220 and a nonvolatile storage device 230. The volatile storage device 220 is, for example, a DRAM, and includes an image data storage area 222 that stores image data to be printed. The nonvolatile storage device 230 is, for example, an NVRAM, a flash memory, or the like, and includes a program storage area 231 and a data storage area 232. Various programs are stored in the program storage area 231. The various programs include firmware such as a print processing program. The data storage area 232 stores various data and the like for executing the various programs.

[0095] The processor 210 is a device that performs data processing, such as a CPU, and executes various programs stored in the program storage area 231.

[0096] The display unit 240 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and is capable of displaying various types of information. The operation unit 250 is a device that accepts operations by the user. The user can input various instructions to the printer 200 by operating the operation unit 250. The communication interface 270 is a wired or wireless network interface for communicating with other devices, and is connected to the network NT.

[0097] The printing unit 290 prints an image on the label tape 201 conveyed by the conveying device 265. The printing unit 290 prints an image on the label tape 201 based on print data transmitted from the terminal device 100 or print data generated by the printing unit 290 itself based on an operation on the operation unit 250. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 1 Printing System 100 Terminal device (an example of an information processing device) 101 OS (an example of an operating system) 110 processors 160 CUPS (an example of OS standard printing software) 170 Printer application (an example of an information processing program) 190 Communication Interface (Example of communication I / F) 200 Printer (printing device, example of label printer) 201 Label tape (an example of printed paper) 201a Label paper 201b Mount 280 cutter 285 Half Cutter L Printed Label< / cups>

Claims

1. An information processing program that can be executed by a calculation unit of an information processing device and that can execute print control using a printing device that can communicate with the information processing device, wherein the printing device is a label printer that prints on a long print-receiving paper wound in a roll to create a print label, the information processing device is equipped with an operating system that has OS standard printing software, and the information processing program can be registered in the OS standard printing software as a virtual printing device, When the information processing program is registered as the virtual printing device in the OS standard printing software, the information processing program instructs a calculation unit of the information processing device to: a first setting acquisition process for acquiring first settings representing the contents of first setting items that cannot be set in the OS standard printing software, among the print setting items of the label printer; a first print data acquisition process for acquiring first print data from the OS-standard print software, the first print data including image data and second settings representing the contents of second setting items that can be set in the OS-standard print software among print setting items in the label printer; a second print data generation process for generating second print data by adding the first setting acquired in the first setting acquisition process to the first print data acquired in the first print data acquisition process; a second print data transmission process for transmitting the second print data generated in the second print data generation process to the label printer; An information processing program configured to cause the

2. The information processing program further causes the calculation unit of the information processing device to a storage process for storing the first settings acquired in the first setting acquisition process before printing is performed by the label printer; Execute In the second print data generation process, The first setting stored in the storage process is read, and the second print data is generated by adding the read first setting to the first print data.

2. The information processing program according to claim 1, wherein the information processing program is configured to:

3. The information processing program further causes the calculation unit of the information processing device to a capability information acquisition process for acquiring capability information of the label printer; a setting item determination process for determining the corresponding first setting item based on the capability information acquired in the capability information acquisition process; an annunciation signal output process for outputting an annunciation signal for announcing the first setting item determined in the setting item determination process; 2. The information processing program according to claim 1, configured to cause the program to execute the following:

4. In the first print data acquisition process, the first print data including the image data and the second setting is acquired; In the second print data generation process, the first setting is added to the first print data to generate the second print data in a raster data format.

2. The information processing program according to claim 1, wherein the information processing program is configured to:

5. The first setting is 2. The information processing program according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of a cutting setting for a cutter that cuts the printing paper in the label printer, and a peeling setting for peeling the label paper attached to the backing from the backing provided on the printing paper.

6. The disconnection setting is a cutting mode of the mount and the label paper by the cutter; Selection of automatic or manual execution of the cutting operation by the cutter; and The frequency of cutting when printing a plurality of the print labels; 6. The information processing program according to claim 5, further comprising at least one of the following:

7. The second setting is The amount of printing when printing is performed, The size of the printing paper, and The print direction when printing, 2. The information processing program according to claim 1, comprising at least one of the following:

8. An information processing device having a communication I / F capable of communicating with a label printer that prints on a long sheet of printing paper wound in a roll and creates printed labels, and a control unit having an operating system having OS standard printing software and an information processing program, wherein the information processing program is registered in the OS standard printing software as a virtual printing device, The control unit a first setting acquisition process for acquiring first settings representing the contents of first setting items that cannot be set in the OS standard printing software, among the print setting items of the label printer; a first print data acquisition process for acquiring first print data from the OS-standard print software, the first print data including image data and second settings representing the contents of second setting items that can be set in the OS-standard print software among print setting items in the label printer; a second print data generation process for generating second print data by adding the first setting acquired in the first setting acquisition process to the first print data acquired in the first print data acquisition process; a second print data transmission process for transmitting the second print data generated in the second print data generation process to the label printer; An information processing device configured to execute the above.

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